Alumni Join Illustrious Bunch

What in the world can actor Robert de Niro, writer Annie Dillard, actress Sally Field, senator and astronaut John Glenn, singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and folk singer Pete Seeger possibly have in common with Swarthmore’s Alexander Aleinikoff ’74, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot ’66, Jed Rakoff ’64, and Phyllis Wise ’67?

Until quite recently, probably little to nothing. However, when the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS) announced its 198 honorees for 2013, all of the above were elected to one of the United States’ most prestigious honorary societies. Recognized for contributions to their fields, AAAS members include leaders in science and technology policy, the humanities, arts, and education as well as Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners.

Aleinikoff is a Georgetown University Law Center professor who has served as United Nations deputy high commissioner for refugees since 2010; Lawrence-Lightfoot is an expert in the relationship between culture and learning styles; Rakoff serves as the U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York; Siebel founded Siebel Systems and pioneered revolutionary customer relationship management software; and Wise is chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.